Increasing Speech and Language Outcomes in Schools Through Teacher Training, Collaboration, and Co-Teaching Methods

Abstract

This chapter will discuss the need for collaboration between related service providers and teachers within schools, specifically speech-language pathologists. SLPs possess a background knowledge of language and how it pertains to classroom success, leading to advanced reading scores. However, collaboration between SLPs and teachers still needs to be improved in many districts nationwide. The author will not only examine what knowledge already exists among teachers regarding speech-language pathology in schools and detail the research supporting collaboration but will also provide a framework for SLP-provided training for teachers in schools and discuss the different methods of intervention in schools, including other direct and indirect service delivery models. Implementing proactive measures will eventually lead to expedited identification of speech and language disorders, further classroom carryover, faster dismissal from pull-out services, and decreased caseloads for school-based SLPs.